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January 27, 2026 – beluga whales adn dolphins at the shuttered Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, have been granted conditional approval for export to several U.S. aquariums, averting a potential mass euthanasia. the decision comes after Marineland warned it lacked the funds to continue caring for the animals and would be forced to euthanize them if export permits weren’t approved by January 30th.
Conditional Approval and Potential New Homes
ontario’s Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced Monday she had provided conditional approval for the export permits following a meeting with Marineland officials. The final permits will be issued once all required data is submitted by the park. CBC news reported on the details of the agreement.
marineland is in discussions with four U.S. institutions to possibly house the 30 beluga whales and four dolphins: the Shedd aquarium in Chicago, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Mystic Aquarium in connecticut, and SeaWorld, which operates multiple locations across the United States.
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